Collapsible steam-chest and oven



E. W. HOWE.

COLLAPSIBLE STEAM CHEST AND OVEN.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 3. I9I9. v

. Patented Jan.

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EARL W. HOWE, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

' COLLAPSIBLE STEAM-CHEST AND OVEN.

Application filed. October 3, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARL W. HOWE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk, State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Collapsible Steam-Chest and Oven; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to collapsible ovens and has for its object to provide an oven which may be easily converted into a steaming chamber and so constructed that it may be easily and quickly collapsed into a small space so that the same may be transported from place to place, thereby providing an oven which may be used primarily in steaming sausage where the same is sold in public places.

A further object is to provide a collapsible oven adapted to be placed upon the top of a stove and comprismg a rectangular body member having its vertical corners hingedly connected to each other so that the same may be collapsed inwardly, and to provide one face of the rectangular body member with a hingedly connected bottom adapted to be forced downwardly into the rectangular receptacle and having its outer end provided with a flange hingedly connected thereto and adaptedto be received. by a channel carried by the lower marginal edge of one of the sides. The body member at diagonally disposed corners is provided with inwardly disposed hinging points so that when the vertical walls of the body member are collapsed inwardly they will be spaced from each other so that the foldable bottom will be received therebetween.

With the above and other objects in view the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

Serial No. 328,198.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an edge view of the oven in collapsed condition.

Fig. 5 is a sectional'view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an auxiliary bottom which may be placed within the receptacle on the perforated bottom when it is desired to use theoven for baking or other methods of c0oking.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a rectangular shaped body mem-' ber.formed with end walls 2 and a rear and front wall 3 and 4. The walls are hingedly connected at their vertical corners as at-5 and 6. It will be seen that the hinges 6 are carried by acute vertical flanges 7 which eX- tend inwardly from the corners, thereby allowing the hinging point 6 to be disposed inwardly and spaced from the interior walls of the body member 1. The function of so disposing the hinging point 6 is to allow a space between the walls when they are in collapsed position as shown in Fig. 4 so that.

various other parts of the oven may be dis- (posed between said walls, thereby allowing such as fairs and the like and it is necessary,

at the termination of the fair for the operator to move to other fields of operation. Hingedly connected as at 8 to the upper marginal edge of the back'3 is a cover 9, which is adapted to form a cover for the oven as a whole. A bottom 10 which is preferably perforated as at 11 is provided. The bottom 10 is hingedly connected as at 12 to the rear wall 3 and is hinged at a point spaced from the bottom thereof, thereby allowing the placing of a receptacle 13 under the same when the oven is used as a steamer for instance for steaming sausage. The bottom 10 not only forms a bottom upon which articles may be disposed but also forms means whereby the rectangular body member is held rigidly against collapsing, and the free endof the bottom 10 has hingedly connected thereto as at 14 a downwardly extending flange 15, the lower end of which is adapted to be received in the channel 1 formed by an inwardly and upwardly bent flange 17. It will be seen that when the 15 with the channel 16,'the rigidity of the body member will be increased, however to prevent the bending or flexing of the end and rear walls and also to provide a surface for the body member to rest upon, the end walls 2 are provided with upturned flanges 18, and the rear wall 3 with an upturned flange l9.

When it is desired to use the device as an oven the plate 20 is placed within the same by grasping said plate in the finger holes 21 and placing the notches 22 over the acute flanges 7 and forcing the plate 20 down into the body member 2 and into engagement with the bottom 10. It will be seen that the finger holes 21 will register with the portion 23 of the bottom 10 which is not perforated, therefore the holes 21 will be blanked out and the oven as a whole provided with a solid bottom. The plate 20 may if so desired where the oven is used over a gas stove or open fire be disposed under the body member and as the opening in the bottom thereof is smaller by reason of the flanges 17, 1S and 19 said bottom opening will be completely closed and if so desired the pan of water 13 may be placed on top of said plate 20 when in this position. I

hen it is desired to collapse the oven the cover 9 is folded downwardly in the direction of the arrow a and against the rear face of the back 3, then the bottom 10 is pulled upwardly in the direction of the arrow 6 until it engages the inner face of the back 3 after which the bottom is raised and the hinged flange 15 is folded against the face 10 of the bottom 10. The back and bottom being in this position, pressure is applied to the corners 0 and (Z, which will cause the hinging points 5 to move inwardly toward each other and the flanges 7 which are hingedly connected to each other to cause the rear and one end wall to assume the position shown in Fig.7 at and the front and the other end wall to also assume the position shown in Fig. 4, that is they will be spaced from each other, thereby allowing the nesting of the bottom 10 and its pivoted flange 15 therebetween and the easy transporting a d moving of the oven as a whole.

From the above it will be seen that a portable steamer and oven is provided which can be easily and quickly set up or collapsed and while in collapsed condition may be easily handled and transported.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is A collapsible cooking receptacle comprising a rectangular body member, said body member comprising front, rear and end walls, the adjacent ends of said walls being hingedly connected to each other, said hinged connections at two points diametrically opposite each other being set in thereby forming means for spacing the walls from each other, when collapsed, a bottom hingedly connected to the rear wall at a point spaced from the lower edge thereof, the free end of the bottom being provided with a hinged flange, a channel carried by the front wall for the reception of the hinged flange, said hinged connection of the bottom and its hinged flange allowing said bottom to be folded upwardly so as to nest between the collapsed sides of the body member, and a cover hingedly connected to the upper end of the rear wall whereby said receptacle may be closed as desired.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

EARL XV. HOWE. 

